i really dont care about cosmetic damage, seeing as how im probably gonna cause scratches and gouges to the board myself. id rather buy a board with some "character" on it so that im already past that prissy phase where every scratch and mark is like a dagger through your heart. plus, it'll save me some money so i can buy a higher quality, albeit used board.

is there any reason why i shouldn't do this? the only reason i could think of is that the person might be selling his gear because it's messed up. are there measures i can take to ensure this won't happen to me?